I love to travel and usually plan my trips well in advance and down to the last fountain. One thing I learned, however, is that no matter how much you plot where you want to go, sometimes serendipity is the best vacation planner. A year ago this week, I found myself unexpectedly visiting the city of Willemstad, on the island of Curaçao. Why unexpectedly? Well, in November 2005, I was scheduled to visit my parents in Florida, but Hurricane Wilma quashed those plans, forcing me to cancel. Being a good son (and one who likes to travel), I knew my parents had booked a Caribbean cruise for the following month, so I schemed to combine a vacation with a visit with my parents. After checking their itinerary, the availaibility of free flights via frequent flier miles, and cheap resorts, I zeroed in on Curaçao.

And, I definitely was not disappointed. Parts of Willemstad, as I quickly learned, are a UNESCO World Heritage site. I arrived at the Hilton Curaçao (I highly recommend it and the Marriott down the street) and, after having an Amstel Bright (brewed locally and a variety I had not known until visiting the island), asked the very helpful hotel concierge how I might be able to spend the four or five hours I might have with my parents after their ship docked. I decided to hire a local taxi driver to give us a tour of the island, and as the driver and I made our way down to the dock to pick up my parents, the first thing that struck me was that when you get into the center of Willemstad colorful and historic buildings line the two halves of the city, Punda and Otrabanda (“Other Side”). It reminds you very quickly of pictures from Amsterdam or other Dutch cities.

Here are some of the highlights that you don’t want to miss when visiting Curacao (you may also want to visit http://www.curacao-tourism.com before you go):

* Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue: built in 1732, it is the oldest continuously operating Jewish synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. It contains a sand floor and a museum of Dutch Jewish life in Curaçao.

* Kura Hulanda Museum: a stunning museum that traces the history of Africans from Africa to the New World. It contains a sculpture garden, but for me two things stood out that were haunting and unexpected: you walk into one room and actual Ku Klux Klan robes greet you, complete with dirt and what looks like (but possibly isn’t) blood stains; and a slave-ship replica, which allows you to descend into the quarters where slaves were kept on the passage to the New World–and where many of them died.

* Lunch in one of the outdoor cafes in Punda along Schottegat Harbor.

* The floating market, along the harbor in Punda, where mostly Venezuela fisherman sell their goods.

* Fort Amsterdam: built in 1635 and now the center of government.

* Fort Beekenburg: built in 1703 to hold off pirates and the British and French navies.

* Fort Nassau: built in 1797, with a restaurant and a picturesque view (great for snapping photos).

* And, of course, no trip (at least for me) to Curaçao would be complete without a visit to Señor Curaçao of Curaçao, which distills the world’s only authentic Curaçao liqueur. Ok, so it’s a bit touristy, but the samples of the various liqueurs are worth wrestling with the tour buses and their legions. I definitely recommend the chocolate liqueur.

Willemstad is a great Caribbean city with a European flair and is definitely worth a visit. And, the trip taught me that the best vacations are often ones you don’t plan. I always remember traveling with my parents when I was a kid, but I hadn’t vacationed with them since the late 1980s. Seeing the smile on my father’s face as we talked, explored, and drank is particularly special for me now, since it was the last vacation that we will ever go on together. Two weeks after I bid my parents farewell, my father passed away, and as difficult as that was, it’s somewhat soothing to know that I had that one last opportunity to spend time with dad, that one last hug as he boarded the ship, knowing that we’ll always have Willemstad.